Into The Twilight Zone, and Loving It!! part one

Highway 287 heading north west to the Oklahoma Border, storm has  moved on and we  and pass this fascinating  construction.

Well, it was our "first" huge grain silo in the USA, and really reminded us of  the classic 50s movie "Picnic" ( which is set in Kansas, but never mind, that is only one state away). Attebury Grain is a big deal here, as far as I can make out. I liked it anyway.

Our journey took  us to the town of Wichita Falls, Texas. We took  a wrong turn on the freeway, and what a  blessing. We were thrown back into the olden days - 50s, 60s.. and much earlier. How fabulous! Downtown Wichita Falls is a place I would beseech anyone travelling this way to stop  and take a wrong turn at too!!! 

We  began our obsession  with old signs here - dead neons, decrepit neglected ones. Faded remnants  from the past. And the buildings!!! Most seemed to be deserted  or boarded up - it was Friday afternoon. Where was everybody??

Downtown Wichita Falls. Looks like it would be happening..but it was mostly deserted!

Well, the bar was still open it seems!

A human! Right corner of building.  What else to  do but flop down next to the Bail Bonds building for the afternoon??

Can't imagine business is thriving here!!

The few modern cars spoil the atmosphere, but something  must be going  on..

 The Big C Appliance Store, a lovely olden days  building. Looks fine from the front!

But it is falling apart  at the side..who cares for it now???

Hello!! Train Spotters rejoice!!! Wichita Falls Railway Museum - but it was closed, with not a soul around.

Are they still in business??? Nothing to suggest they are. Run by zombies at night???

This took up a whole block - but what was it once upon a time ?? A department store?? A Bowling alley??

Are they really open??? Or has it been left like this for years??

 

ssshhh - I think I can hear a pin, or a 12 1/2 gauge 4d nail , drop

Into The Twilight Zone, and Loving It!! part two

So  we continued our exploration, looking for a few signs of life in downtown Wichita Falls,Texas. We were really captivated by this town. Here are a few old houses:

Boarded up - but there's a pussy cat! I reckon people  live here too..

The Munsters lived here - or did Norman Bates?? Fantastic old home!!

They've got wood

 and I guess  some folks still go to church?? Texas has been called  the buckle of the Bible Belt!

Plenty of  churches here, or there are  other forms  of entertainment, like  this lovely, old Wichita Theatre, which is still happening!

This fabulous building  is a Texas Historical Landmark & was built in 1908 

Wichita Theatre at right, back in busier times , and unless my eyes deceive me, it is 1965 because the Jerry Lewis movie The Family Jewels is on at the cinema!

We came across an open Antique store, the  Mansion II Antique Mall, which, hooray,  was  open, so we couldn't resist a look inside. What a wonderful jam packed place. There were three other  humans  in here also,  the manager,  a rather crazy woman who followed me around and talked non-stop  at 100 miles per  hour and a  young man, her son I think, who was desperate to buy a Nazi Knife.

Not my photograph

Rather battered Osmonds  lunchbox. Maybe an Alice Cooper fan blackened Donny's eyes? WHAT??

Owner - Kenneth Cunningham ( not my photo )

How cool is this!!! But the possible damage on the flight home, or even just in my case travelling around,  prevented me from buying this, and many other beautiful old knick knacks.

I bought one item from this case..plus a framed  copy of the item below.

For  the history of this sign, and other derogatory, negative caricature "Drunken Injun" items click on green link below

 The Drunken Injun

Number  plate covered fence

We were  not quite finished with Wichita Falls yet, in fact we could have spent several days exploring this place. But we had to press on, but not before taking a few photographs of this fabulous diner, the Pioneer, also closed!!!

Sneaky "through the window" photographs

I can see a "ghost" in here - the  "image" of a man's face, but I do  have a vivid imagination.

Maybe this photograph sums  up why Downtown Wichita Falls seemed so neglected. The Freeway - cause of the decline of so many small towns. Of course  there is  the general USA problem with the economy too. But we would venture off  freeways in many many other places  to find  once thriving towns that were now almost like ghost towns. Newer areas were built that had  the housing estates,  big shopping  malls, chain Hotels & motels,  and fast food restaurants, and that was where the people mainly  were.

It is very sad to see  this how happened, and a really good warning to Australian. Hey- you in charge take note!!! The Freeway and the car, all in a big  hurry to get somewhere else and  leave all these amazing places behind to crumble and die. We  were so lucky to catch quite a few glimpses of America's past. I want to go back. We loved Wichita Falls, Texas, and we would love many more towns like  this as we continued our wonderful road trip - over  the border  into Indian Territory , Oklahoma and onto Route 66!

It's A Wide Open Road

Leaving Wichita Falls and we headed north on Highway 44, less cars, less people, less towns,  but more enormous, endless  blue sky. How I had dreamed of such places. I knew we were in God's country, the Bible Belt. We were frequently reminded. It did not  bother me  in the slightest. I  even enjoyed  the Christian radio stations we sometimes tuned into. It was all  so  different and part of that world.

 I just love the vastness and nothingness of the following  places I photographed from the car. Looking at them still moves me. I cannot explain it.

 360 degrees around of this blue sky and golden pasture. A sight to behold from every direction.

Some small oil Derricks

RED RIVER! the Texas / Oklahoma border!!

RED RIVER! the Texas / Oklahoma border!!

 The movie "Red River" is probably my favourite John Wayne film. I am not a  huge fan of his, but when you are there in the place of  that great story which you have watched for so many years  of your life,   it really is fantastic.

And  of course, the classic movie OKLAHOMA is one that I have seen on the big  and small screen  countless times, and also on the stage when I was a wee girl in the early 60s I think,  and again in the  80s. I can practically sing that whole soundtrack. So  naturally, I pressed play on the CD player and we listened to OKLAHOMA! ( I have never had trouble spelling that !!! )

We were  there!!! Where  the wind goes sweeping  on the plains!! 

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, Ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin' lazy circles in the sky.

We know we belong to the land
And the land we belong to is grand!
And when we say
Yeeow! Ayipioeeay!
We're only sayin'
You're doin' fine, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma O.K.
L - A - H - O - M - A
OKLAHOMA!
Yeeow! 

( throw hat in air)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - the Oklahoma State Bird, swooping and flitting over  the plains.We saw these gorgeous birds flying across in the grasses in the fields.

 

It was so long for now Texas..we'll be back  real soon ya' hear, twice more in fact

OKIES Ain't All HOKIES!

Buffalo Statue, Best Western Hotel, Lawton.

 We found our next stop for the night in Lawton, Oklahoma at the Best Western Hotel. It is worth mentioning that since we had arrived  in the USA, some folks would ask us why we were there in that particular of  the country, and usually I answered "because it is there"! This was very much the case in Lawton, especially with some of  the staff at our hotel. I guess  they think Aussies would go  to California, or New York. I have had a fascination for prairies for most of my life, and we were headed to some famous memorials in that area.

So we got a lot of attention here, mainly from young Josh , and Lorie. So  when we went to have our dinner in the hotel, they  couldn't get enough of us  and wanted to talk and talk ( and listen to our accents I am sure ). Josh is 17. He  comes from Nebraska and works at the hotel to support his sick mother and family back home. He will join the military then go to University and make a good life for himself  and family. And I really hope he does. He was  one of the coolest and most with-it 17 year olds I have ever met. Not a square at all, Josh spoke in much more worldy  and  intelligent ways than your average teenager. He was NOT a Gung-Ho conservative American and had interesting political views for someone  in  a military town, which Lawton is. Josh just wants to survive and do well in life and has  his plan for this already laid  out. We  were really impressed by him, and  he just wanted to  sit and chat with us all night.  Several Americans we met opened up to us, especially about the political and economical situation.  It was if they felt safe telling us things that could usually only be  discussed in very hushed tones.

Josh

Lorie - with pens  in her hair

 This was a good experience, staying in this hotel. Tomorrow we would get up and see something  that we were surprised and quite excited  to find happening in town.